16 July,2026 12:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Raj Thackeray. File Pic
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday criticised the BJP-led Central government over educationist and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's ongoing fast, expressing concern over his health and alleging that the Centre was ignoring a legitimate public movement.
With Wangchuk's indefinite hunger strike entering its 19th day, Thackeray said the activist's deteriorating condition was a matter of serious concern and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene.
In a post on X, Thackeray said, "This is the 19th day of Sonam Wangchuk's fast. The reports we hear about his health, or the visuals especially circulating on social media, are certainly cause for deep concern. It feels utterly awful to say that the government has decided to sacrifice Sonam Wangchuk - and by extension, a movement that represents a voice for this country. When a government can watch silently as Shri Ram's treasury is being looted, what difference will citizens' movements make to them?"
Thackeray also accused the Centre of weakening democratic institutions and claimed that public institutions had been brought under political influence.
"The very institutions that should act impartially have been taken under their control. Elections are being managed exactly as desired. Enormous sums of money are being spent on this. Yet most media outlets aren't asking where that money is coming from. On the contrary, these same majority media outlets are busy, on the instructions of their invisible bosses, figuring out how to defame the ruling party's own people or the opposition. And the media outlets that do speak out have a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads and their owners'. That's why it's so easy for the government to crush a movement raised for a legitimate cause and torment the body of the protester."
Referring to the BJP's earlier engagement with Sonam Wangchuk, Thackeray said the activist had once been recognised by the party for his work on alternative energy and was invited to the Re-Invest Conference in 2018.
"Once upon a time, the Bharatiya Janata Party held Sonam Wangchuk in high regard. Of course, one good thing about the BJP is that a person remains dear to them only as long as it suits their convenience. In 2018, they invited Sonam Wangchuk to the Re-Invest Conference, listened to him on unconventional energy and such, and even praised him. Of course, back then, it was about showing how much importance we give to unconventional energy, so they brought in Sonam Wangchuk. Later, when Ladakh was declared a Union Territory, Wangchuk too appreciated the BJP. But then Wangchuk realized their intentions were far from pure. Ladakh should get the status of a full state, there should be two Lok Sabha constituencies in Ladakh, the rights of the local people over their land must be protected - these were the demands he raised, for which he undertook fasts and protests, but the government did nothing. They reassured him, and then no action followed. Because the intentions they display are never truly what they seem."
Thackeray linked Wangchuk's protest to concerns over examination reforms, saying the activist was seeking action on alleged irregularities in the NEET examination process and greater transparency in competitive exams.
He also referred to previous examination controversies, including the Vyapam scam and alleged question paper leaks in recruitment and entrance examinations.
"Today, Wangchuk's demand is clear: address the mess with the NEET exam and sack the minister responsible for it, and bring transparency to these exams. There's nothing unreasonable in that. During the BJP's time in power, exam irregularities have happened everywhere. From the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh to NEET question papers leaking, right up to the recent leaks in teachers' exam papers. Why did all this happen under their watch, and why do they act so brazenly afterward? The answer is simple: unlimited power, with all the machinery firmly in their grip."
Thackeray further alleged that the BJP had become increasingly intolerant of criticism after successive electoral victories.
"The success they've dragged in through various maneuvers in elections - they want to parade it as a sign of the people's silent consent, and no one should dare question us. That's the new arrogance that's gripped the BJP these days. And when I say BJP, I mean it in the sense that their alliance partners have no independent existence; they're run straight from Delhi."
Concluding his remarks, Thackeray appealed directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Centre to address the concerns raised by students and their families instead of treating the issue as a political dispute.
"My request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to please pay attention to this issue. The NEET exam matter and the chaos around it - this isn't some trivial thing. The irregularities in this exam have ruined the lives of lakhs of students. And it's not like this just happened now; such incidents have occurred before too. And this isn't a political issue. This is a social one. Lakhs of students who took the NEET exam, their parents - they've gone through such agony, such mental torment, and this issue is tied to that. And among them are supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party, its office-bearers, its workers - all of whom have suffered too. So, viewing the movement through a political lens, as the central government is doing, is fundamentally a sign of their narrow-mindedness."
